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Tag Archives: Inspiration

“Don’t worry, be happy….” Are the lyrics that popped into my head when I thought about this topic. (Do you remember that song from almost 30 years ago? Wow! Has it been that long ago already?) But it really isn’t always that simple. I wish it were.

I was talking with someone the other day that was updating me on some situations in their life. It wasn’t all doom and gloom but the issues this person is facing aren’t self-inflicted either. These were just the facts of life this person is dealing with at the moment. It made me think of some recent events I have had to deal with in my life lately. Continue reading →

I have taken several weeks off from posting anything. I haven’t stopped writing but just felt the need to be silent for a while.

Have you ever felt that way? Like you had that still small voice telling you to take a step back? When that happens it is important to heed that feeling and process everything. You will typically come out on the other side feeling refreshed and have clear direction. We learn so much through these times.

I spoke at Oasis Church yesterday and talked about what it really means to be a good neighbor. I have posted about that before here on my site. I went into much more detail and you can watch the video on the Speaking page or listen to the audio here. Continue reading →

Sorry, ladies. This is directed at the guys but I think you will find that you play a bigger role than you might think in the answer to this question.

I have mentioned before that I have a lot of passions. One of my driving is to see men thrive emotionally, mentally and spiritually. So, how does a man do this or more important, what prevents a man from doing this? Both are great questions!

Let’s address the second question first.

“What prevents a man from thriving at home and spiritually?”

Do you really want to know? I ask this question because the truth may hurt and it might make you angry. Continue reading →

In a previous life I worked in the automotive industry. I remember being on a particular business trip where I got to hang out with a large number of people. Some of the people I knew but most I had never met before. On several occasions a handful of people mentioned they had heard I was a pastor. It is interesting to me how and when this comes up in conversation. I often wonder how that comes up about me when I’m not involved in the discussion.

The conversation usually goes the same way every time. They ask me what church I am a part of and what denomination we belong to. That is usually followed by a comment like, “I used to go to church but I don’t anymore” or “I was raised in church but haven’t gone in years”. I perk up at these comments because I have done quite a bit of research on why people leave church and I am always interested to know why they stopped going. This is the turning point in the conversation for me. Continue reading →

I love sports. I have played all kinds of sports since I was five or six years old. Growing up in Southern California I was a devoted Angels baseball fan and Rams football fan. I’m still a devoted Angels fan but lost interest in the Rams shortly after they left California. Who knows, maybe we will get the Rams back in Southern California after all. There has been a lot of talk about that lately.

Loyalty is a big deal to me. It always has been. Being a sports fan I have found it hard to understand the lack of loyalty on behalf of players and team owners alike. Over the years Continue reading →

I saw this sign today and it brought a smile to my face. It reminded me of a yellow Labrador Retriever we had when we lived in the state of Washington several years ago. His name was Winston and he was one of the best dogs we had ever had.

One memory that always jumps to the front of my mind when I think about Winston is the time he literally protected our kids from certain demise when an overly protective mother cow thought the kids were too close to her baby.

We lived in Washington State at the time on a forty-acre plot of land that was owned by this really nice couple. And on this land they had a herd of longhorn cattle. We only had two kids at this time and they were standing at the fence looking at the cows when one of the cows began to charge the fence. Continue reading →

I have shared many times what my passions are. But I don’t think I have ever shared what I struggle with. At least not in depth.

I am no different than any of you. I am human and I have my issues. The list of my shortcomings is as long as my arm and in ten-point font. I want to do something that most men are afraid to do: confess to you what we are most afraid of. I am not breaking any guy code here. By getting this out in the open I hope it brings a sense of relief for the men reading this. I also hope it creates a better understanding for women of what we, the almighty man, struggles with.Are you ready? Here it is. Continue reading →

What inspires you? That’s a very broad and generic question so let me be a little more specific.

What inspires you to…

Take a risk?

Be creative?

Be a better spouse?

Be bold?

Put whatever you want into the last part of that question. You may need to think on it for just a bit. Well, what is it? I can tell you for me, there are many things that inspire me. Continue reading →

When I was a kid I was always running around with a group of my friends. We were sports fanatics and we played Little League baseball together. Thinking about that makes me think of one of my all time favorite movies The Sandlot. During the week after school we would play the game over the line or tackle football or some other game. We were kids…we were invincible. If we got hurt we whined a little or ran home for a few minutes but we always came back to finish the game.

If one of us was unhappy with the way we hit the baseball or if we dropped the football we would yell “Do over!” Do you remember that as a kid? For crying out loud, we do that now as adults. Continue reading →

Sounds a bit crass, doesn’t it? But we all know it’s true. Just when you think there’s hope for the world someone does or says something that makes you remember how flawed we all are. I’m just as guilty as the next guy.

I will spare you from all of the drama but I remember sitting at the table the other day working when I got a text that just stopped me in my tracks. I remember throwing myself back in my chair, looking up at the ceiling and thinking to myself, “Are you serious? People suck sometimes!” Continue reading →